How to Get Rid of Armadillos

Armadillo Removal requires patience and the right equipment. Live traps are safe to use on these creatures because they do not have any defense mechanisms other than the hard shell. The non-lethal trap will allow you to capture and relocate the armadillo, local laws permitting this, of course. You can also use exclusion materials to keep armadillos out of the yard, and install or repair broken fences or fence gates that are allowing the little guys to get into your yard.

Armadillo stuck in a trap

Armadillo Trapping Methods

Watch the armadillo carefully from a distance if you can. If it has set up shop in your yard and hasn't left within a day, it's time to buy a trap. Try to get a live trap measuring 12" x 10" x 30" or larger. This will ensure there is plenty of room for the nine-banded armadillo in your trap.

Get the trap into position during the afternoon before nightfall or after the early morning hours are over. Armadillos use the cover of darkness to move around and get themselves fed or mate. Because armadillos are such careful creatures, they like the edges of the fenceline and areas up against the exterior of the home and other outdoor structures. If you have a shed with a foot-wide gap or so between it and the fence, this is a good spot to trap all kinds of wildlife creatures.

Armadillo walking in the yard

Don't bait the trap at first. Remember, armadillos eat stuff they find in the ground. Plus, your bait will probably be in the stomach of a squirrel or raccoon long before the armadillo lumbers its way into the trap. After you set the trap, make sure to check it often to prevent the armadillo from expiring inside the trap. Cleaning up dead animals is no fun and it's perfectly avoidable.

Move the trap if it is not successful on the first attempt, and try this only a few more times before calling a wildlife removal service. Armadillos respond fairly well to traps, but they may need to be extracted if they are not falling for the trap.

Armadillo Exclusion Methods

You can also exclude armadillos if they are not nesting on your property, and only passing through. Put up a fence if you don't already have one, and if you have one, there's likely a vulnerability to the fence. The fence could be damaged, holes may be dug underneath the fenceline, or forgetful adults or children may have left the gate open. Look for these vulnerabilities and close them immediately if the armadillo is already gone, and he surely won't come back.